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JMadonna · 01-31-2017, 10:20 PM

Well seems that the preponderance of the evidence points to Boston. If Arthur Loux talked about what happened backstage then I have been persuaded against Montreal.

SSlater · 01-31-2017, 10:54 PM

I think we need to drop back to zero and rethink all that we are saying here. This is brought about by the fact that this trip to Boston had nothing to do with Lincoln at all!
Let's examine what we know. Booth left New York with LUCY HALE.
They went to Rhode Island for some serious kanoodling, and had some kind of a spat, that put them in a bad mood, and they went to Boston. She is hidden with friends and Booth visits his Brother and a friend ( Orlando ?) When he finished "visiting", he ,went home (No mention of Lucy on the return trip).
THIS IS NO "SECRET MISSION", with a military theme! The only thing that comes to mind - based on what we can read - is he was showing Lucy to his family and some friends, and they were spending time together, away from her parents.
I am guessing now, but he must have told Lucy some part of his plans for Lincoln- resulting in the Black Mood. He was engaged and wore a small ring, to show around, that he cherished, but the wedding will be delayed.

The most important thing of this commentary - is his trip had nothing to do with Canada! All these facts came from the writing of others. The "interpretation" is mine and I am prepared to defend it.

Somewhere in American Brutus, I read that Booth often told Herold lies - on purpose - knowing he was going to brag about what he knew. This trip is an example.

Susan Higginbotham · 01-31-2017, 11:36 PM

Terry Alford does have Booth making a trip to Montreal before his visit to Boston. Colonel James Gordon, who evaded Union agents and finally made his way to Montreal, checked into the St. Lawrence Hotel on March 8, 1865. He claimed to have met Booth briefly, and struck up a friendship with him as a fellow Southern sympathizer, before Booth went back to the States and assassinated the President.

SSlater · 02-01-2017, 12:57 AM

(01-31-2017 11:36 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote: Terry Alford does have Booth making a trip to Montreal before his visit to Boston. Colonel James Gordon, who evaded Union agents and finally made his way to Montreal, checked into the St. Lawrence Hotel on March 8, 1865. He claimed to have met Booth briefly, and struck up a friendship with him as a fellow Southern sympathizer, before Booth went back to the States and assassinated the President.

You are right, Susan, Booth was in Montreal on MARCH 8th, and met with Col. Gordon, but I am making reference to Booth's trip to Boston in the early part of APRIL. at which time there is no record of him going to Montreal.

RJNorton · 02-01-2017, 05:40 AM

(01-31-2017 09:50 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote: In his book, Arthur Loux also mentions actress Rachel Noah as having talked to Booth in Boston backstage on April 5 at Edwin Booth's performance in Hamlet

Mike Kauffman also mentions this in AB. He writes, "Booth was still in Boston. After dropping Lucy off with friends, he went to see Edwin, who had just begun an engagement in the Boston Theatre. Rehearsals were under way for Hamlet when Booth went backstage and crept up behind actress Rachel Noah. 'Hello, little girl!' he whispered. 'They tell me you've been getting married since I saw you.' He seemed in a playful mood, and Rachel chatted with him while she waited for her cue. She asked when he was going to act again, and he said that he had grown tired of all those months on the road. He might play again, but only in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia."

There is no footnote for this. Thus, I do not know the source used for the reported conversation between Booth and Rachel Noah.

Susan Higginbotham · (This post was last modified: 02-01-2017 09:28 AM by Susan Higginbotham.)

(02-01-2017 05:40 AM)RJNorton Wrote:
(01-31-2017 09:50 PM)Susan Higginbotham Wrote: In his book, Arthur Loux also mentions actress Rachel Noah as having talked to Booth in Boston backstage on April 5 at Edwin Booth's performance in Hamlet

Mike Kauffman also mentions this in AB. He writes, "Booth was still in Boston. After dropping Lucy off with friends, he went to see Edwin, who had just begun an engagement in the Boston Theatre. Rehearsals were under way for Hamlet when Booth went backstage and crept up behind actress Rachel Noah. 'Hello, little girl!' he whispered. 'They tell me you've been getting married since I saw you.' He seemed in a playful mood, and Rachel chatted with him while she waited for her cue. She asked when he was going to act again, and he said that he had grown tired of all those months on the road. He might play again, but only in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia."

There is no footnote for this. Thus, I do not know the source used for the reported conversation between Booth and Rachel Noah.

Loux gives Joseph George's "F. Lauriston Bullard as a Lincoln Scholar" as his source. He doesn't give a page number, unfortunately, but it's available here. EDIT: It's on 9-10. Bullard's source was a personal interview with the aged Rachel Noah.

https://open.bu.edu/handle/2144/19785

RJNorton · 02-01-2017, 09:40 AM

Thanks, Susan.

Susan and John - Art Loux has Booth in Washington on March 8th. No mention of Montreal. I do not know if Art did not believe Gordon's account or simply never knew of it. Besides Gordon, is there other evidence Booth was in Montreal on March 8th?

Linda Anderson · 02-01-2017, 11:51 PM

(01-31-2017 07:34 AM)JMadonna Wrote: Thanks Linda,
So now we've got a witnesses who claims Booth was playing pool in Montreal and witnesses who claim he was in Boston bowling and shooting guns between his legs. Isn't research fun? Who do you believe?

I'm leaning towards Montreal. Booth was in financial straits at the time and there was money there. I'm sure he would have gotten paid for giving a dramatic reading, if nothing else. But I could be convinced otherwise.

Yes, research is fun, Jerry! It's like doing a puzzle where there are pieces are all over the place and some of them don't even belong in the puzzle at all.

I believe John Pendergast who remembers seeing Booth at the shooting gallery.

Here's an article that Susan Wilson wrote titled "Boston, the Booth Brothers, and the Parker House."

http://www.bu.edu/bhr/2015/05/11/boston-...ker-house/

Here's an article on property on Commonwealth Ave that Booth purchased and placed in his mother's name

http://historyofmassachusetts.org/john-w...in-boston/

Susan Higginbotham · 02-02-2017, 09:34 AM

(02-01-2017 09:40 AM)RJNorton Wrote: Thanks, Susan.

Susan and John - Art Loux has Booth in Washington on March 8th. No mention of Montreal. I do not know if Art did not believe Gordon's account or simply never knew of it. Besides Gordon, is there other evidence Booth was in Montreal on March 8th?

March 8 is the day Gordon checked into the St. Lawrence Hotel. Gordon doesn't give the specific date(s) that he and Booth met in Montreal, but only indicates that it was not long before the assassination. Alford surmises that Booth made a quick trip to Montreal before he went to Newport and Boston.

RJNorton · 02-02-2017, 10:24 AM

Thanks, Susan.

I got confused when I checked General Tidwell's April '65. He writes, "Gordon did not arrive in Canada until March 8, 1865, and it is not clear whether he met Booth in Canada or in the United States before he went to Canada."

There is an endnote for this which leads to pp. 405-408 in Come Retribution.

And when I read those pages in CR it seems clear (at least to my understanding) the authors feel the meeting definitely took place in Montreal.

Possibly Art Loux did not include the trip because of the wording in April '65. (?)

Susan Higginbotham · 02-02-2017, 12:11 PM

(02-02-2017 10:24 AM)RJNorton Wrote: Thanks, Susan.

I got confused when I checked General Tidwell's April '65. He writes, "Gordon did not arrive in Canada until March 8, 1865, and it is not clear whether he met Booth in Canada or in the United States before he went to Canada."

There is an endnote for this which leads to pp. 405-408 in Come Retribution.

And when I read those pages in CR it seems clear (at least to my understanding) the authors feel the meeting definitely took place in Montreal.

Possibly Art Loux did not include the trip because of the wording in April '65. (?)

According to Gordon's statement here, he met Booth in Canada. His purpose in going to Canada had been to join Jacob Thompson, not to meet with Booth, so it's plausible that his meeting with Booth occurred considerably later after Gordon's March 8 arrival.

https://books.google.com/books?id=F2CjAg...th&f=false

JMadonna · 02-04-2017, 10:35 AM

Ok, we know that Booth was in Boston on April 5th and April 6th. Do we know WHEN he left Washington? Was there enough time to go to Montreal and then to Boston?

RJNorton · 02-04-2017, 03:15 PM

Art Loux has him leaving Washington on April 1 and returning April 8. During that time frame Art has him in Baltimore, New York, Newport, Boston, New York again, and Philadelphia.

JMadonna · 02-04-2017, 07:09 PM

(02-04-2017 03:15 PM)RJNorton Wrote: Art Loux has him leaving Washington on April 1 and returning April 8. During that time frame Art has him in Baltimore, New York, Newport, Boston, New York again, and Philadelphia.

Would this schedule fit Loux's timetable?
April 1: Baltimore - New York -
April 2: Montreal
April 3: Montreal - New York
April 4 : New York
April 5 : Boston- Newport-Boston
April 6: Boston
April 7: New York
April 8: New York - Philadelphia - Washington

RJNorton · 02-05-2017, 05:21 AM

It's certainly possible, Jerry. There is a "gap." The only activity mentioned for April 2nd is that Booth had a conversation with John McCullough at the Metropolitan Hotel. For April 3rd Art has Booth in New York but no events are mentioned. For April 4th Art says "Booth and a female companion boarded the steamer Empire State at 4 P.M. The ship traveled along Long Island Sound and reached Newport, Rhode Island, the next morning."

In Art's endnote for the McCullough conversation it says, "Circumstantial and inconclusive evidence suggests that Booth may have taken a train to Montreal on April 2 and returned April 4.